Valve



Dec. 6,119,27.

VALVE vFiled Aug. 2l. 1924 Patented D ec. 6, .1927,

`UNITED sTATEs GEORGE A. BOBERTSHAW, F GREENSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

vA'Lvn.

. Application mea August 21, 1924. serial iro. 733,423.

The present invention relates broadly to flow control valves, and more particularly to thermostatie valves of the character par' ilowof gg'seous fuels to a burner.

At the present time, it is customary in the art to which this invention relates, and more articularly in connection with household installations of the character ordinarily referred to as storage Water heaters, to provide -a main burner and a pilot, the main burner being thermostatically controlled to permit vthe maintenance of a predetermined tem perature Within the storage tank at all times, and the pilot being designed to serve as a relighting means for the fuel when the main valve is again opened by the thermostat.

. In accordance with the usual practice, such pilot-flaines have been controlled by a b -pass which has .been manually adjusted. lrIyhe adjustment of, such by-passes depends upon'the quality of the gas, the pressure at the time of adjustmentand the size of pilot flame necessary to prevent quenching when "the main gas supply fis turned on, or when the quality of the gas varies or the pressure drops after the by-pass has been set. If the burner is of the type that will flash back-in v the mixer on low consumption, the burner may continue to'burn in the mixer and deposit carbon on the heating sections or coils. Such an adjustment is objectionable not only from the fact that the quality and pressure bf the gas may vary, but also for the reason that frequently an unnecessarily large pilot flame is utilized in order to insure proper operation, thereby resulting in an unnecessarily large fuel bill. Furthermore, such adjustments must frequently bemade by p ersons more or less unskilled in the operation of thermostats, and the burning of fuel, thereby often resulting in unsatisfactory operation. y f

'Ihepresent invention has for one of its objects the provision of a by-pass which requires no manual adjustment and which is automatically operable independently of the ehciency, of the system in connection with which it is used and irrespective of thefquality or pressure of the fuel being burned.

In the accompanying drawings, there are shown for purposes of illustration only certain preferred embodiments of the present r invention, it being Vunderstood that changes may be made in the details of construction and operation without departing from the spirit of the invention as defined in the apv pended claims.

"In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view through one form of thermostat constructed 1n accordance with the present invention;

Figure 2 is a detail sectional view on an enlarged scale of the controlling apparatus; Figure 3 is aA view similar toFigure 2, illustrating a slightly modified embodiment of the invention; and

Figure 45 is a: 'graphic View illustrating the. operation of the valve for one temperature setting.

In carrying out the present invention, there may be'provided a valve lcasing 2, having a suitable inlet connection 3 and an outlet connection 4,`the flow between these `connections being controlled by a valve 5,

cooperating with a seat 6. This valve is illustrated as being of the character normally urged in` one direction by a spring 7 and in the opposite direction by thermostatic means 8. y In the form of invention illustrated, the thermostatic means is effective for opening the valve 5 against the action ofthe spring 7.

The operating connection between the thermostatic means andthe valve may com'- prise a packing pin 9, slidably *mounted within a bearing 10-'and abutting at one end against projection .l10n the valve, whichv projection is also journaled within the bearing 10. At its opposite end, the packing pin may engage an adjustment 12, whereby the temperature at which the thermostatic means is effective for opening the valve may be varied at will.

In order to provide a by-pass between the inlet vand the outlet, therey is shown a bypass valve 13, carried by the valve 5 and cooperating with a seat 14 within a projection 15 thereon, the valves preferably being arranged in'concentric relationship. The byass valve is' normally urged in one direction 'y a spring 16, this spring here being` shown as effective for tending to moveA the valve toward closed position, and is operated in the opposite direction by a stem 17, extending` through the projection `11 on the valve 5. The stem 17 is preferably of such length that with the valve 13 against the seat 14, it Will extend slightly beyond the end of the projection 11 and into engagement with the packing pin 9. The exact amount which the stern 17 projects may be varied in accordance with the operating conditions desired. l have found that with a thermostatic means utilizing a carbon rod as the non-expansible clement, the amount of projection may be .0015 of an inch, where it is desiredthat there should be a, difference of between 20 and 30 F. `between the closing of the main valve 5 and the closing of the by-pass. The main valve is illustrated as provided with an opening 18, permitting the passage of gasy therethrough when the by-pass valve 1s 1n spaced relation to its seat.

In operation, it may be assumed that the thermostat is threaded into a hot water storage tank, a portion of which is indicated at 19, and that the water therein is below the desired temperature. At this time,I the thermostatic means 8 will act through the stem 17 and the projection 11 to maintain both of the valves in open position, thereby permitting a full flow of gas from the inlet to the outlet.' lf the adjustment 12 is set at such position that a temperature of substantially 135 F. to 140 F. Will be maintained Within the storage tank, the therinostatic means will permit the closing of the valve 5 when this temperature has been reached. Due to the projection of the stein 17, however, this thermostatic means will be effective after the closing of the valve 5 for maintaining the by-pass valve in open position. Consequently, the temperature of the water vvill have to be raised an amount corresponding to that required to cause expansion of the thermostatic means suliicient to entirely release the stern 17 before the by-pass valve will be closed. However, after the valve 5 is closed, considerable time will elapsc before Ithe temperature of the Water can be raised 20 or even less by means of the small gas ilovv through the by-pass valve 13. Accordingly the Water Within the tank 19 will, by convection, reach a substantially uniform temperature at all levels and the b pass valve will supply approximately su cient fuel to odset radiation in the tank. As the temperature of the Water drops, due to dei mand on the tank, the by-pass valve Will be fully opened before any opening of the main valve, thereby insuring a pilot flame of suilicient size to overcome any possibility of uenching under the inliuence of the full gas ow.

Where heaters are of known efiiciency and of known construction, there may be utilized a ley-pass valve of the character shown in Figure 3 of the drawings, in which the bypass valve 13" is formed with a calibrated opening 20 of "a size calculated to ass the minimum amount of pilot gas un er most favorable conditions. ln such a construction, the valve 13 will be operative for increasing the gas flow from this minimum amount up automatically as needed to odset mismas radiation. Such a calibrated opening may be usedeither with or without an adjustable by-pass of the character shown in Patent No. 864,263, to F. W. Robertshaw, dated Aug. 27, 1907. Such a by-pass may also be used with the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 1 and 2.

In Figure 4 of the drawings there is a graphic illustration showing more clearly the operation of-a valve `constructed in accordance with the present invention. In this figure, the ordinates represent the number of cubic feet per hour at an arbitral pressure,

the curve illustrated in this figure ing plotted with the use of gas under a 6 inch pressure. The abscissas represent degrees Fahrenheit of the liquid or other substance being controlled. The valve was set to cut oil the flow of gas at between 135 and 140 F. With a temperature of 110 it will be noted that there Was a gas How at the rate of approximately 32 feet per hour. At 120 there was a gas flow at the rate of 24 feet per hour While at a temperature of 130 the gas ha dropped to 8 cubic feet per hour. At this point, indicated on the curve as A, the main therinostatic valve 5 commenced to close very quickly. the completion Iof the closing movement of the main valve occurring at the point B corresponding with a temperature of 140 and a gas flow at the rate of 4 feetper hour. rlhereafter, the rate at which the gas flow was cut oli decreased very perceptibly, the rate of flow only changing from 4 feet per hour to slightly less than 2 feet per hour for a temperature variation of 30 F. It Will be apparent from this curve that the present invention provides means for thermostatically throttling a vfuel supply at different rates of rapidity, therebeing one rate substantially constant up to the point A, another ratefrom A to B, and a third rate after the closing of the main valve. lt was found that these general conditions were not adected by a change in the temperature adjustment or setting of the thermostat. irrespective of the point at which the thermostat was set to cut oil the main fuel flow, there would still be produced a fuel throttling at different rates of rapidity. This establishes aratio of throttling speed differential, the by-paes controlled by the thermostat constituting means for maintaining a substantially definite ratio, as before 1e erred to.

Because of this slow closin-gat the low point only of the curve, it is possible to obtain the advantage of an increased capacity at lower temperatures when much gas is needed, and thereafter the benefit of a slowworking small valve which is not seriously influenced by sudden temperatures of a fevr degrees either up or down. As before pointed out, by reason of this operatiomin many appliances of denitely established eiiciency port, and thermostatic means for operating Leannthe thermostat will settle ai ,d automatically adjust its own carrying oint.

Certain advantages o the present invention arise from the provision of an auto-matically operated by-pass requiring no manual regulation or adjustment and operable to insure -the desired gas flow independently of as quality, gas pressure or efficiency of t e burner installation with which it is used.

Further advantages of the present invention arise from the provision of a fuel valve of the character referred to operable for throttling a fuel supply at different rates of rapidity, the rates not being changed by temperature adjustment or setting, together with means for maintaining a definite ratio of throttling speed differential.

I claim: v

l. In a flow control, a main controlling valve, a temperature controlled by-pass valvey cooperating therewith, and a temperature responsive means axially aligned with said valves .and structurally disconnected from both of said valves said, meansbeing adapted to successively engage with and become disengaged from said valves `for controlling the operation thereof, .substantially as describedo v 2. ln a flow control, a main valve, a bypass valve,l and temperature responsive means axially aligned with .said valves and having an a utting contact only with said valves for operating the same simultaneous- 1y at certain periods and successively at other periods,substantially as described.

3. In a flow control, a main controlling valve having a guided stem, a by-pass valve having a guiding stem extendin `through and .projecting beyond the guide themain valve, and operating means cooperating with said stems for initially opening the'by-pass valve, and thereafter opening the main valve, substantially as described.

4.. In a .flow control, a main controllin valve, a by-pass valve having a seat in sai main controlling valve, and thermostatic means for operatin both of said valves, substantially as descri ed.

5. In a flow control, a valve casing having inlet and outlet ports, a main controlling valve therein controlling the How between said ports, said valve being provided with a bypass port leading from one side to the other thereof, a bypass valve carried and guided by said main controlling valve and controlling the flow through said bypass oth of said valves, substantially as described.

6. ln a flow control, a valve casing, a main controlling valve having a Alay-pass opening through the body of the valve itself, a by-pass valve controlling said opening, and thermostatic means for initially opening said lay-pass valve and thereafter opening said stem on `my hand'.7

main controlling valve, substantially as described.

7. A thermostatic valve comprising a valve casing, a main controlling valve therein, means for guiding said valve, said valve having a by-pass opening therethrough, a by-pass valve controlling theliow through said opening and having an operating stem projecting therefrom, and thermostatic means adapted to initially engage said stem to open the y-pass valve and thereafter engage'the main controlling valve for opening the same as reiired, substantially as described.

8. thermostatic valve comprising a main controlling valve and a thermostaticall-y controlled byass therethrough, substantially as described 9. A thermostatic valve comprising a main controlling valve and a thermostatically controlled by-pass valve concentrically carried by said main valve and having a seat therein', substantially as described.,

10. In a fuel control, a conipound valve structure comprising a valve casing having a seat, independentl movable valves in said casing, one of sai valves cooperating with saidseatand providing a seat for another valve, and thermostatic means operable throughout one temperature range forthrottling the fuel supply relatively quickly, and throughout a succeeding temperature range to throttle the fuel supply relatively slowly,

substantially as describe vl1. In a fuel-control, a compound valve structure com rising a. valve casing having a seat, indepen entl casing, one of sai valves cooperating with said seat and providing a seat for another valve, thermostatic means operable throughout one temperature. range for throttling the fuel supply relatively quickly, and throughout a succeeding temperature ran e to throttle the fuel supply relatively s ovvly, and means for adjustably varying said lirst mentioned temperature range, substantially as described.

12. In a flow control, a main controlling valve having a valve stem, a by--pass valve' having a valve stem, and common means havingvabutting engagement only with said valves by direct engagement Withsaid stems for operating such valves simultaneously at certain periods and successively at other periods in both directions, substantially as described.

13. In a flow control, a main controllin valve having a valve stem, a by-pass valve having a valve stem, and common meansl having abutting engagement only with said valves by direct engagement with said stems for initially openin the by-pass valve and thereafter opening tie main valvsysubstantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereuntov set enonon a aoeniarsnavv. y'

movable valves in said.- 

